Self-installing hammer drill SDS grounding rod

Abstract

An article of manufacture for providing a self-installing hammer drill SDS-based grounding rod according to the present invention is disclosed. The grounding rod includes a shaft member having a top end and a lower end, an SDS-style slot about the top end for coupling within a chuck of a hammer drill, a set of flanges extending out from the shaft member about the lower end, and a case-hardened tip coupled to the lower end of the shaft member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A grounding rod comprising:
 a shaft member having a top end portion and a lower end portion; 
 the top end portion comprising an SDS-style shank having a groove configured to slidingly engage with a ball bearing of a chuck of a rotary hammer drill, such that the top end portion is movable in a reciprocating manner in the chuck, the groove being elongated and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the shaft member, the groove having straight sides and rounded closed ends being configured to retain the ball bearing in the groove and prevent removal of the top end portion of the shaft member in an axial direction out of the chuck during use of the rotary hammer drill, the groove being configured and positioned to terminate a distance from a top end face of the top end portion; 
 a set of flanges extending out from the shaft member about the lower end portion; and 
 a case-hardened tip coupled to the lower end portion of the shaft member; 
 wherein the grounding rod is configured to be coupled to an electric ground wire once installed into ground material. 
 
     
     
       2. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of flanges comprises a masonry drill bit. 
     
     
       3. The grounding rod according to  claim 2 , wherein the shaft member is made of a material comprising galvanized steel and copper. 
     
     
       4. The grounding rod according to  claim 2 , wherein the shaft member has a length comprising 6, 8, or 10 feet. 
     
     
       5. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein said case-hardened tip comprises tungsten carbide. 
     
     
       6. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member is made of a material comprising galvanized steel and copper. 
     
     
       7. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member has a length comprising 6 feet. 
     
     
       8. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member has a length comprising 8 feet. 
     
     
       9. The grounding rod according to  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member has a length comprising 10 feet.